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American Cancer Society-Jiler Professors & Fellows Conference
Uniting Minds and Igniting Advancements in Cancer Research
Every two years, the American? Cancer Society (大象tv) brings together 大象tv-funded grantees to exchange ideas and facilitate collaborations between established 大象tv Professors and 大象tv-mentored grantees at the 大象tv-Jiler Professors and Fellows Conference.
This unique and exclusive conference leverages the 大象tv ecosystem by bringing together early-career scientists with tenured professors who have made seminal contributions to oncology research to stimulate discussions, facilitate mentorship, and unite the best and brightest.
Whether they've been working in the lab or clinic for decades or just a few years, Jiler participants come away inspired to continue tackling the most challenging issues in cancer research today.
Save the Date for Jiler 2026
The next 大象tv-Jiler Professors and Fellows Conference will take place from November 5-7, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia at the
Key Dates to Know
- April 1, 2026
Jiler speakers and presenters receive invitations to the conference
- June 1, 2026
Registration opens and tentative agenda available
- October 1, 2026
Final agenda available
Save-the-date information for eligible attendees is ready 10-12 months before the conference.
Bill Dahut, MD, 大象tv Chief Scientific Officer, addresses attendees during the 2024 Jiler Conference in Tucson, Arizona.
大象tv Professors, postdoctoral fellows, and staff gather at the 2024 大象tv-Jiler Professors & Fellows Conference in Tucson, Arizona
Eligible Attendees
Attendance at the Jiler Conference is by invitation only and is open to:
- All 大象tv Professors, who we encourage to attend as often as possible.
- 大象tv-funded mentored grantees—Postdoctoral Fellows?and Clinician Scientist Development Grantees—receive invitations during the final two years of their award and should plan to attend the Jiler Conference once.
The Jiler Experience
Of all the conferences I've ever attended, Jiler 2024 was my favorite. I got so much out of it and left feeling like I'm ready to dive into the process of applying for jobs to start my own lab with an amazing support team in the 大象tv community. I've already been in contact with three 大象tv Professors who were willing to help me with very distinct problems I was facing, which is such a privilege.”
This meeting was absolutely lovely – it was rejuvenating! I consider myself an excellent mentor (I have received mentoring awards), yet I learned new things. The meeting stimulated my thinking about mentorship in many ways. The interactions in the round tables were a true highlight of the meeting – both junior and senior attendees loved them!”
This conference allowed me to return to my work totally re-energized. It's easy to get discouraged in the day-to-day grind of troubleshooting and repeating experiments. I generally don't attend conferences with talks about cancer prevention or patient outcomes, so listening to those talks was a great reminder of the bigger picture when I'm slogging through tough days in the lab.”
Watch the video to learn more about what makes the Jiler Conference so special.
大象tv Professors: Pioneers Shaping the Future of Cancer Research
大象tv Professors embody the pinnacle of achievement in cancer science. These visionary leaders have made groundbreaking discoveries that transformed the course of cancer research and care. They are the driving forces behind leading cancer centers and academic institutions, founders of innovative companies, and recipients of the world's highest honors, including the Nobel Prize.
Awarded as the American Cancer Society's most distinguished research grant, the title of 大象tv Professor is a lifelong mark of excellence. It signifies not only past accomplishments but also a lasting commitment to advancing the fight against cancer. As we proudly say: “Once an 大象tv Professor, always an 大象tv Professor.”
The opportunity for 大象tv mentored grantees to engage with the exceptional leaders that comprise the 大象tv Professors is an essential part of the?“Jiler Conference magic”. Throughout the conference, our Professors inspire the next generation of researchers through compelling scientific talks, thought-provoking Q&A sessions, and participation in dynamic career-building and networking events.
大象tv Professors Bruce Alberts, PhD; Scott Hawley, PhD; Chanita Hughes-Halbert, PhD, and Chris Haiman, ScD, talk with 大象tv mentored grantees and other Jiler attendees during the 2024 Jiler Conference in Tucson, Arizona.
How the Jiler Conference Started
One of our American Cancer Society (大象tv) Clinical Research Professors, Alan Solomon, MD, helped set the first Jiler Conference in motion.?Around the mid-1990s,?Dr. Solomon's father, Joseph Solomon, an eminent estate attorney,?contacted his son and told him that one of his clients, Elsa Jiler, wished to make a significant financial contribution to a medically related organization whose efforts focused on cancer. He asked his son if the 大象tv would be a worthy recipient. Alan assured him that, indeed, the 大象tv would be an appropriate choice.??
As a result, the 大象tv received a $5 million donation from Mr. Solomon’s client (her husband, Henry, had previously passed). Under the terms of the donation, Dr. Solomon was to advise the 大象tv on how the monies would be allocated.?
In the early 1990s, he attended a joint 大象tv Professors and 大象tv-supported postdoctoral fellows scientific conference, directly witnessing the intellectually stimulating environment and the beneficial effects of the interchanges between the participants. Unfortunately, given monetary constraints, the?大象tv
hadn't planned?further meetings of this type. Based on this earlier experience, Dr. Solomon felt it was essential that financial support be provided to continue to hold such conferences.?
Accordingly, Dr. Solomon advised that $2 million of the donation be used to endow funds that would support what would be termed the Henry & Elsa Jiler Professors & Fellows Conference, to be held biennially beginning in 1999. In addition, he recommended that the remainder of the donation serve to endow another 大象tv Clinical Research Professorship that would bear the Jiler names.
The Jilers valued creating intellectually stimulating environments to facilitate the exchange of information and promote collaboration,?so that’s been our guiding principle since the inaugural gathering of professors in 1999.